Roofing cleat



Oct. 17, 1933. TOPPlNG 1,930,632

ROOFING CLEAT Filed June 4, 9

BYW

ATTORNEY-5.

Patented Oct.17, 1933 ROOFING CLEAT John A. Topping, Bronxville, N. Y., assignor of one-half to John H. Shaffrey, New York,

Application June 4, 1931. Serial No. 542,016

5 Claims. (Cl. l08---33) This invention relatesto an improved sealing and securing plate or cleat and more especially to a roofing cleat for securing sheets of prepared roofing material to buildings.

This invention has for an object a light weight, inexpensive and eflicient cleat so constructed as to have the necessary inherent strength to effect continuous and uniform binding pressure on the roofing sheet and to'resist distortionunder the stress and strain of the nailing pressure incident to securing the same in position.

A cleat embodying the invention is provided with anarched crown formed by drawing a piece of metal and setting the same along two truss lines rising from the corners of the piece of metal and converging toward the midpoint thereof where theybecome approximately parallel, the central sections of the lateral portions of the cleat being substantially perpendicular from the crown to provide support for the same. Additional support for the crown may be provided by folding or creasing the lateral portions centrally to provide reinforcing vertical truss lines. Nearthe ends of the cleat, the metal may be drawn downwardly between the ends of the long arch truss lines to form substantially triangular bearingsurfaces, thereby forming two small transverse arches at each end of the cleat. Also, the crown may be provided with a longitudinal reinforcing ridge or beading.

A cleat of the construction above described is inherently highly rigid and may, therefore, be made up from thin sheets of metal such as galvanized iron, zinc, copper or other suitable material. The crown is particularly strong, inasmuch as the metal is drawn and set along the longitudinal truss lines and is very rigid, and the truss lines terminate .in small arches which strongly reinforce the same. The perpendicular relation of the central sections of the lateral portions to the crown providesupport forthe same and greater rigidity is obtained by reason of the folds which provide bracing truss lines in, The formation of the'folds The provision of the bearing surfaces and small arches at the ends of the cleat prevents the cleat from cupping up at its end if a sharp blow is directed on the cleat at its crown. The vertical truss lines formed by the folds also assist in preventing distortion of the crown when struck by a sharp blow. The longitudinal ridge or beading protects the cleat from being squashed 0- down should it ice-accidentally struck in the operation of nailing the cleat in position.

*The'creasing of the central portions of the lateral walls raises the base line thereof-slightly V relative to the crown of the cleat, therebygiving the device a spring-like effect and increasing the pressure exerted by the cleat at the points'furthest from the nailing point at which points pressure ordinarily is limited whenthe nail is driven into its seat. In seating the cleat, the 7 creases or stay portions are partially unfolded, thereby causing the metal in the crown to bend toward the nail and firmly gripthe same'which' has torn the metal of the crown in entering the nail hole. This firm grip of the-cleat on the 'nail prevents it from working upwardly away from the crown of the cleat under sun drawing. Thecombination of thetruss lines and central creases or stay portions forms a substantial supporting surface for the nail head at the center of the 0- dome of the cleat and pressure is transmited in every direction when a nail is driven in and the cleat is set. The provision of triangular contact surfaces at the ends of the cleat produces additional creases or stay portions which'furnish fur- 5' ther support for the crown to resist collapsing of the cleat and also to transmit pressurefroin the crown portion of the cleat to the ends thereof.

The formation of the substantially triangular contact surfaces at the ends of the cleat produces a plurality of arches or'stay portions which provide greater strength to receive transmitted pressure and afford protection to the end sections, and safeguard against harmful effectsof accidental abnormal hammer blow-s Also, the provision of the creases and the contact surfaces prevents spreading of the side walls and also prevents collapsing or mashing of the cleat as well as prevents the upturning or-cocking up of the ends'of the cleats. Such cleats' seal lap'joints of roofing without the use of asphalt, tar la'p cement or other similar material. The lower edges of the perpendicularwalls pass between the particles of mineral on the surfaces of a roofing sheet and extend into the asphalt or other c0ating, thereby preventing water from flowing under the walls or seeping through to rust the underside of the cleat or the shank of the nail. Other objects, novel features and advantages 1 10 of this invention will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a strip of cleats embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a single cleat;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with a nail in holding position;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified form, and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a still further modification.

The cleats consist of metal stampings preferably in strip form and each cleat comprises a substantially rectangular piece of metal arched intermediate its ends to provide a crown 10 defined by centrally converging longitudinal arched truss lines 11 formed therein in drawing the crown and set to maintain such position, thus forming inherent trussing means in the metal. Lateral walls 12 extend from the crown and are centrally substantially perpendicular to the plane of contact of the cleat and in their central portions are provided with one or more folds or creases 13 along lines perpendicular to the contact plane. The lower edges of the lateral walls are slightly arcuate as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, this curvature being produced in the formation of the creases 13. At the ends of the cleat, the metal is drawn downwardly between the ends of the longitudinal truss lines to form triangular contact surfaces 14 and at the same time form- 'ing two transverse arches at each end of the In the modification disclosed in Fig. 7, the contact surfaces 14 are omitted and the ridges 15.

are extended nearly to the ends of the cleat. The lateral walls 12 are provided with a plurality of creases 13 along vertical lines.

In the modification disclosed in Fig. 8, the creases are omitted from the side walls 12 and the ridges 15 are also omitted, but the cleat is provided at its ends with substantially triangular contact surfaces 14, thereby providing stay portions for strengthening the cleat andfor transmitting pressure from the dome of the cleat to the end portions thereof.

Before the cleat is nailed to the roofing, it rests only on its ends 14, the under edges of the lateral 'walls and the contact surfaces 14 being out of draws down the central portion of. the cleat to bring the lower edges of the lateral walls and the surfaces 14 into contact with the roofing material and insure contact of the cleat along the entire base line.

from being forced in by ordinary hammerblows upon the nail head and the ridges 15strengthen the cleat and provide against mashing down of tion of the cleat is thus prevented and uniform contact. of the cleat with the roofing material is provided for. The creases produced by formation of the contact surfaces 14 provide stay portions which contribute to increasing the strength of the cleat and to the transmission of stresses from the crown of the cleat to its ends.

The cleat above described is of such design that when made of thin sheets of galvanized iron, zinc, copper and other suitable material, it has the necessary inherent strength to effect continuous and uniform binding pressure on roofing material and to resist distortion under the pressure incidnt to nailing the same in position as well as withstand crushing under accidental hammer blows. The 'ridg' esl5 serve to prevent any possibility of the holding. nail being driven through the holes 16 in the crown due to the fact that after the nail has been driven home, the hammer head will strike the projections 15, thereby causing the hammer face to bridge over the nail head.

a The embodiments of the invention above disclosed are merely illustrative and it is to be un-- derstood that the invention is not limited to the same, but may be embodied in different forms without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

'1. A sheet metal cleat comprising a piece of metal drawn to provide a crown having inherent arch shaped truss lines drawn therein and extending from end to end to the cleat, said truss lines converging centrally of the cleat,.and lateral walls having central portions substantially perpendicular to the plane of contact of the cleat substantially from said crown to the base of each side Wall.

2. A sheet metal cleat arched longitudinally and transversely to form a central nail-receiving crown and also to form a transverse arch having lateral walls with central portions adjoining said crowns and extending substantally perpendicular to the plane of contact of the cleat substantially from said crown to the base of each lateral wall.

3. A sheet metal cleat arched longitudinally and transversely to form a central nail-receiving crown and also to form a transverse arch having lateral walls with central portions adjoining: said crowns and extending substantially perpendicular to the plane of contact of the cleat substantially from said crown to the base of each lateral wall, and one or more folds in each of said central portions of said lateral walls also substantially perpendicular to the contact'pl'ane of the cleat.

4. A sheet metal cleat arched longitudinally and transversely to form a, central nail receiving crown and also to form a transverse arch having the side walls thereof adjacent the central por tion of the cleat and adjoining said crown substantially perpendicular to the plane of contact of the cleat. w r

5. A sheet metal cleat arched longitudinally and transversely to form a central nail-receiving crown and also to form a transverse arch having' The perpendicular relation of the central por-- tions of the lateral walls 12, together with the provision of the creases l3 prevents the crown.

the side walls thereof adjacent the central portionof the cleat and adjoining said crown substantially perpendicular to the plane of contact of the cleat, and one or more folds formed in the central portion of each of said side walls also substantially perpendicular to the contact plane of the cleat. 1 p p JOHN A. TOPPING. 

